# What personality trait of yours can be considered borderline (or more) psychotic?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [January 30, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673 "2016-01-30T18:23:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2016, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/41 "2016-02-01T17:04:08Z")
> [@aruvqan](#):
>
> Though it worked wonderfully. Wrapped it in the filter while wet, placed the rather murky looking lump gently under the leading edge of each tire so he would back over it when he went to leave in the morning, it dried out over night and he made it go boom when he backed over it.
>
> ]
I’ve made it too.
But I never liked the “its stable wet” thing. Yes it is stable, but that doesn’t mean if if gets a good shock it all won’t go up (matter of fact it probably will). Like, I don’t know…a dry crystal somewhere in the container? :eek:
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### Author:  [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2016, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/42 "2016-02-01T17:29:24Z")
> [@HeXen](#):
>
> I can literally drop anyone off my social list permanently and it doesn’t bother me at all. Now that’s psychotic.
Me, too except I don’t even need the excuse of holding a grudge. At some point, I just figure out that I don’t really feel like seeing this or that person anymore and stop making efforts to keep in touch. Former classmates, friends, ex-girlfriends, ex-coworkers, even family members. I guess I’m that guy who completely fell off the face of the earth for many, many different people.
The only persons I’ll never walk away from are my daughters.
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### Author:  [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/43 "2016-02-01T17:36:11Z")
I think innocent seeming questions and polls like this on the internet are actually part of a data mining effort that is attempting to piece together a complete personality mockup from individual answers to benign questions.
Or maybe I don’t…
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/44 "2016-02-01T17:37:17Z")
> [@madsircool](#):
>
> Sounds more like schizophrenia to me
In short, schizophrenia is the underlying illness; psychosis is one of the symptoms.
A person who is schizophrenic may not currently be psychotic. Perhaps, for instance, they are being successfully being treated with drugs.
A person demonstrating psychosis could do so due to many things other than schizophrenia. Dementia would be a pretty obvious example of another condition that can cause psychosis. A brain tumour or just being way too tired can cause psychotic symptoms.
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### Author:  [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/45 "2016-02-01T17:40:56Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#):
>
> I think innocent seeming questions and polls like this on the internet are actually part of a data mining effort that is attempting to piece together a complete personality mockup from individual answers to benign questions.
>
> Or maybe I don’t…
I actually WON’T answer some seemingly innocent questions here or elsewhere because I DO believe somebody somewhere can use that info to figure out who and where I am.
Well, that and some false answers just to throw them off.
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### Author:  [@DeepLiquid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeepLiquid)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/46 "2016-02-01T17:55:49Z")
> [@jtur88](#):
>
> I’m “aphobic”. I refuse to fear all the common everyday things that the media and the internet insist that I am supposed to fear. I travel with enough cash on my person to cover all my expenses, even month-long overseas trips. I never lock my door, whether I am in or out. I use the simplest passwords that websites allow. I am not afraid of same-sex marriage, nor Muslim women wearing headscarves, nor canned goods from China or beyond their best-by date. A forecast for a 40% chance or rain does not strike fear in my heart, nor Zika virus, the dread disease of the month. I sit next to a stranger on a bench at the bus stop, and I even drink tapwater… I need to be institutionalized for my own safety.
I like you!
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### Author:  [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2016, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/47 "2016-02-01T18:35:51Z")
I’ve moved my physical location several times in my life, and have a tendency to fall out of communication with long-time friends when this happens. Several times when I’ve later run into some of these people, they’ve made it abundantly clear that they think I’m a complete piece of shit, apparently for not keeping up contacts with them. I’ve always been totally baffled by this. I’m just not much for writing letters or E-mails. Regardless of how long it’s been, I’m always (at least until their hostility becomes evident) happy to see them. It’s a real blind spot, and the seething hostility I’ve experienced is incredibly disturbing.
I will say that the advent of Facebook has helped a bit in this regard.
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### Author:  [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/48 "2016-02-01T18:59:09Z")
Under ordinary circumstances I’m a flexible person. I will give second chances, and often third ones, and for family, even more. But when you cross my tolerance threshold, I am done with you. Completely. You cease to exist to me. I have cousins whom I gave up on 30 years ago. They constantly bug me on Facebook to befriend them. But that won’t happen. And I won’t even spend the time to explain to them. They should know. And if they don’t, that just reinforces my decision to cut them out of my world. There are former friends in the same situation who have also sought me out. Again, I’m done with you. That’s it.
I hated the very idea of Facebook when it came about. Its main selling point to mature individuals was the ability to reconnect with old friends. That’s the exact thing I don’t want. I’m still in connection with everyone that matters to me. A scrofulous pox upon my older son who insists on using it to provide all information on my grandson. lol
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### Author:  [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2016, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/49 "2016-02-01T20:02:26Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> I don’t think everyone is super clear on what “psychotic” means.
>
> “Psychotic” means an inability to correctly perceive and/or react to reality. If you are mean or negative or antisocial or you don’t like last-minute changes, those are not psychoses. If you hear voices, see things that aren’t there, cannot speak coherently, or believe your wife is a lizard-alien bent on killing you, that is a psychosis.
Yeah, but taking the definition that strictly introduces a catch-22 (in fact, the original catch-22 situation!). A person who’s truly psychotic doesn’t recognize his or her psychosis, therefore couldn’t report it on a message board (or to the medical officer).
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2016, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/50 "2016-02-01T20:22:12Z")
Well, if they aren’t presently psychotic they could. Someone who is currently enjoying a good run with their meds could come in here and admit “I used to hear voices” and such. I have a friend who suffered from such things and doesn’t anymore, and his recounting of when he DID hear voices is frightening and fascinating.
But in general that’s my problem with the thread. What we are getting is a predictably steady stream of people reporting personal preferences - many of them actually quite normal - as “boy, look how crazy I am.” jtur88’s “I’m not terrified of things that irrational people are terrified of” is a rather obvious humblebrag, not a reporting of a psychotic episode.
It’d actually be kind of interesting to hear from people who’ve actually suffered from legitimate psychosis.
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### Author:  [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2016, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/51 "2016-02-01T20:52:34Z")
But the title of the thread asks for personality traits. Would you say that a temporary psychosis qualifies as a personality trait?
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### Author:  [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2016, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/52 "2016-02-02T02:47:38Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> I don’t think everyone is super clear on what “psychotic” means.
>
> “Psychotic” means an inability to correctly perceive and/or react to reality. If you are mean or negative or antisocial or you don’t like last-minute changes, those are not psychoses. If you hear voices, see things that aren’t there, cannot speak coherently, or believe your wife is a lizard-alien bent on killing you, that is a psychosis.
Thank you.
The OP started it. Choosing to work over not working/trying to get on disability hardly counts as psychotic. It just unravels from there.
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### Author:  [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2016, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/53 "2016-02-02T04:55:14Z")
Yes, I’m a psychiatrist and I speak with multiple psychotic people on a daily basis. I opened this thread thinking “I can’t wait to read what the OP has to say about a particular personality trait causing delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech or behavior.”
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### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2016, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/54 "2016-02-02T05:15:29Z")
> [@ivylass](#):
>
> I don’t like last minute changes.
>
> Ivylad and I were running errands and as we were walking into the grocery store his sister and husband drove up behind us. It was a nice surprise and we were happy to see them. They invited us to join them for lunch.
>
> I actually froze. I had the list in my head of what we were going to do that day, and eating lunch with family wasn’t on it. I hadn’t planned on it.
>
> Of course we went to lunch with them. And I’ve been trying to work on my spontaneity. But having a routine, knowing what I’m supposed to do and getting it done is very rewarding for me. Don’t throw a wrench in my works.
I identify with a lot of this. Even if it’s someone I love, I will be thrown off and not look very welcoming at all if I see them unexpectedly. I worry that it will lose me the few friends I have.
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### Author:  [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2016, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/55 "2016-02-02T15:08:26Z")
> [@Arcite](#):
>
> Yes, I’m a psychiatrist and I speak with multiple psychotic people on a daily basis. I opened this thread thinking “I can’t wait to read what the OP has to say about a particular personality trait causing delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech or behavior.”
Me too!
Then I actually engaged my brain and realized the OP meant something more along the lines “generally negative behaviours most humans have but YOU can carry to an extreme and probably socially unacceptable level”.
:dubious:
Pendantic buzzkills
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### Author:  [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/56 "2016-02-02T15:22:13Z")
> [@billfish678](#):
>
> Me too!
>
> Then I actually engaged my brain and realized the OP meant something more along the lines “generally negative behaviours most humans have but YOU can carry to an extreme and probably socially unacceptable level”.
>
> :dubious:
>
> Pendantic buzzkills
Even allowing for that, some of these examples are odd. The OP said in another thread that she had applied for disability and was turned down (as moat are the first time). How is finding a job after that negative and socially unacceptable?
Maybe I am a buzz kill. Threads like this often devolve into exaggeration and " I’m a special snowflake " territory.
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### Author:  [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2016, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/57 "2016-02-02T15:24:27Z")
> [@lorene](#):
>
> Even allowing for that, some of these examples are odd. The OP said in another thread that she had applied for disability and was turned down (as moat are the first time). How is finding a job after that negative and socially unacceptable?
>
> Maybe I am a buzz kill. Threads like this often devolve into exaggeration and " I’m a special snowflake " territory.
Then move along before you make me mad 🙂
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### Author:  [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2016, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/58 "2016-02-02T16:07:36Z")
Well, according to the lost cell phone thread, my refusal to return someone’s lost cell phone without a reward qualifies me as a sociopath. So I’ve got that going for me …
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### Author:  [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/59 "2016-02-02T20:27:33Z")
> [@lorene](#):
>
> Maybe I am a buzz kill. Threads like this often devolve into exaggeration and " I’m a special snowflake " territory.
Most of this thread seems to be adolescent fantasies of puissance about what implacable revenge machines outwardly mild-mannered posters will become if pushed too far. Ooh, scary.
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### Author:  [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2016, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-personality-trait-of-yours-can-be-considered-borderline-or-more-psychotic/744673/60 "2016-02-02T22:26:17Z")
> [@Penfeather](#):
>
> Most of this thread seems to be adolescent fantasies of puissance about what implacable revenge machines outwardly mild-mannered posters will become if pushed too far. Ooh, scary.
Well, I have actually helped enable high speed lead particles of moderate size to pass a nearby royal asshole .
Some people just need that kind of personlized treatment to get the message.
I’ve also let a couple of jackasses hoist themselves by their own petard professionally/academically (by manner of me just keeping my mouth shut at the right time and place). Again a couple of royal assholes who had it coming.
My limit is damn high. And it only gets surpassed every decade give or take. But you don’t wanna be there.
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